Butterflies and Fireworks
by MoonstoneAndStarDust
Summary: "They weren't kids anymore. Somewhere along the way, they'd grown up and things had changed. The way she loved him had changed. And it had all happened so gradually that Victoire had nearly missed it." A story about how things changed between two best friends.


She paid no mind to the familiar sound of English interspersed with French being bellowed through the house. The sound of her sister hollering panicked questions at her mother somewhere off in the distance - Dominique's characteristic tardiness very apparent that day - was not enough to distract her from her thoughts. Instead, her eyes remained trained on the drops of water hitting her bedroom window. It had been raining off and on all day. A coincidentally accurate representation of Victoire's current emotional state.

Tomorrow morning, she would be leaving Shell Cottage and boarding the train to Hogwarts for her final year. This event brought along a very mixed and complex set of emotions. She really was thrilled to be going back and excited about her duties as Head Girl. Hogwarts was one of her favorite places in the world after all. But the hold it had on her heart had lessened the year before, when she was forced to return to school without her best friend by her side. And now she'd have to do it again.

As she thought about saying goodbye to Teddy Lupin once again, Victoire felt a stab of pain in her heart. Saying goodby to Teddy was never easy, starting back when she was nine and he went off to Hogwarts without her. It didn't get easier over time either, and the farewell they'd had before her sixth year had been the hardest one yet. She couldn't imagine what tomorrow would be like. Not just because she would miss him, but because, for the first time, she wasn't sure that he would miss her.

Things hadn't been right for months, and it had taken Victoire a long time to figure out what had gone wrong.

Teddy had rather abruptly stopped responding to her letters a few months before Christmas during her sixth year. She'd eventually heard from him, but not until a week before she was to return home. He only wrote to give the merest hint of an apology for being so busy and not writing, and also to tell her he and his grandmother were going to be taking a trip to Spain for the New Year. Just the two of them. His grandmother had always wanted to go to Spain, and while her health hadn't been the best, she was now feeling well enough to travel. Victoire had been left feeling happy for them, but also confused and disappointed. She'd never spent New Year's without Teddy. What would that even be like?

They'd seen each other at Christmas, and it had been strained. Though he'd tried to play it off like nothing was wrong even while mostly ignoring her. He'd left for Spain with his grandmother the following day. Victoire had never had a chance to confront him, which had left her feeling even more confused than she'd been before.

What had changed to make him act this way? Had she done something? Had he?

He'd actually written to her once more the following term, most likely feeling guilty after she wrote to him on New Year's Eve about how much she missed him. But that had been it and things were still all wrong. And it had taken Alice Longbottom to get Victoire to see sense.

It all came back to the presence of Adam Ramirez in Victoire's life.

Adam was a fellow Ravenclaw sixth year that Victoire had only really known on an acquaintance type level for her first five years at Hogwarts. She would be the first to admit that she'd spent most of her time not really caring to form close friendships. Not outside of the ones she shared with Teddy and Alice. There were a few of the girls in her dorm that she knew well enough, but no one came close to the friendships she had with Teddy and Alice.

That all changed at the start of her sixth year. With no Teddy to keep her company and Alice behaving like the typical fifth year Ravenclaw by spending the majority of her time in the library, Victoire was left on her own a lot more than she was used to. She normally spent her time in the library or the joint common room with Teddy, since they were in different houses. But going either of those places didn't have the appeal that it used to now that he was gone.

So, Victoire had spent the first week of school sitting in an armchair in the corner of the Ravenclaw common room, wistfully wishing for things to be the way they had been before. And it was on one such night at the beginning of their second week back that she was approached by a tall, thin boy with luscious black hair and tan skin. He was built a lot like Teddy, she'd noted, as he stopped in front of her and asked if she wanted to join him and his friends over by the fire.

"I know you usually hang out with Lupin or Longbottom," he'd said, "but I've noticed you've been on your own a bit more this year."

"So you thought you'd take pity on me?" Victoire had asked, her brow furrowed as she attempted to decipher his intentions.

"Actually, I was hoping _you'd _take pity on _me," _he'd responded with a coy smile. "I've always wanted a chance to get to know you, but you've always been a bit preoccupied with Lupin. Pretty much since day one. And now that it seems I can actually have a shot at knowing you, it would be awfully good of you to let me at least try."

Whether it was the fact that she was lonely or that he truly seemed to be sincere, Victoire still wasn't sure, but she'd gotten up and joined him and his friends that night. And then again every night following for the rest of the week. Adam Ramirez was sweet and charming and brought her the company and attention she'd been missing with Teddy's absence. And before she'd even realized what was happening, Victoire had her first boyfriend.

It was strange at first. Victoire's only real experience when it came to spending time with a boy was with Teddy. And while they'd show each other affection, it was innocent and friendly. A hug, a kiss on the head, a reassuring squeeze of a hand. It was always so comforting to be held or touched by Teddy, but with Adam, it was different. There was this unspoken fact that it wasn't just about caring for one another. It was about enjoying the physical aspects of a relationship, and Victoire hadn't been sure how to handle that.

It was nice, though. Holding hands under the desk in class and sitting close together in front of the fire. The first time he'd kissed her, she hadn't quite known what to expect, but it had been nice. She knew better than to expect the mythical butterflies and fireworks so often described in fiction, but she'd still been a bit disappointed by how ordinary it had been.

Thankfully, Alice had gotten her first boyfriend a few weeks later, and she and Victoire were able to work on figuring it all out together. Many moments were spent sharing stories and questions and laughing at the awkward moments. Victoire and Adam spent a good bit of time with Alice and Liam, and at first, it was easy. Then things got complicated.

It had started about a month into Victoire's new relationship. She'd put off telling anyone at home that she had a boyfriend, going so far as to not even act as if she and Adam were together in front of her cousins so that news couldn't spread without her consent. Finally, she decided to include the news in her weekly letter to Teddy. She knew that he'd be upset if he found out from her mum or one of her aunts if she were to tell them first. Plus, she was excited to share her news with her best friend. She had looked forward to a response filled with congratulations and maybe even some overprotective comments and advice from her best friend. But she didn't get that. That was when the letters had mysteriously stopped.

Victoire couldn't understand it. He was in Auror training, which made him busy, but it hadn't stopped him from writing her before. Had she said something to upset him? Was he disappointed in her?

It had continued for weeks, Victoire caving a few times and writing to him even without hearing back. And then Christmas and New Years and a few letters, but things weren't right. And it was Alice who actually helped her realize what had gone wrong.

"Victoire, how do you _really_ feel about Adam?" her friend had asked one day in Victoire's dorm room during the middle of her usual ranting about Teddy's silence.

"How do you mean?" Victoire had asked, slightly caught off guard.

"You've been together for about four months now?" Alice clarified. Victoire nodded. "Do you love him?"

"Oh," Victoire said, a bit shocked by the question. "I don't think so. I mean, he's lovely and I enjoy his company, but I've never really even thought about it."

They sat there in silence for a few moments, Victoire beginning to realize what this revelation meant. "That's not good, is it?"

Alice smiled, the rather permanent smile that she wore these days looking almost like a smirk. "Well, now that you _are_ thinking about it, is your answer the same?"

Victoire didn't even really have to think, but she paused anyway, thinking about what her answer would mean for her relationship. "Yeah, it is. I like him, I really do. I think I even really fancied him at first. But there's something missing, you know? I can't quite put my finger on it."

She paused, her brain working hard to try and come up with what it was she couldn't put into words. What was it that made her unable to feel anything more than warm friendship for her boyfriend?

"I don't know," she continued with a sigh, sitting down on the window seat and running her hand through her long blonde hair. "It's just…it's just that…that he's not…"

Suddenly, a mental picture of a grinning boy with turquoise hair, warm brown eyes, and an endearingly familiar smile invaded Victoire's mind. It was so shocking and unexpected that it felt like she'd had the wind knocked out of her.

Why was she thinking about Teddy now? When he was hardly even speaking to her and she was actually quite angry with him for ignoring her. For threatening to ruin what they had.

Because what they had was special. It was the most special thing she'd ever been a part of. They'd been together against the world since before either of them could remember. You didn't find something like that easily. It was the type of thing that couldn't be replaced. The way they were there for each other. The way they understood each other. The way they cared deeply for one another. The way they loved each other.

Wait, what?

Victoire let out a gasp of shock as she stared wide eyed at Alice, who was continuing to smirk at her.

Well, of course she loved Teddy Lupin. He was her best friend. They'd said "love you" too each other countless times. But, thinking about it now, what that word meant to her when it came to Teddy, it suddenly held a much different weight than it had the last time she'd flippantly said it to him. Which, come to think of it, she couldn't even remember when that was.

They weren't kids anymore. Somewhere along the way, they'd grown up and things had changed. The way she loved him had changed. And it had all happened so gradually that Victoire had nearly missed it.

"He's not Teddy," Victoire said breathlessly. "I don't love him because… because he's not _Teddy?"_

Alice nodded, a giddy grin breaking out across her face as Victoire gave a disbelieving, breathless laugh and shook her head. "I _can't _love Teddy, Alice," she said almost pleadingly. "Not now. Not… not when I'm not sure if he even wants to still be my friend. It would… it would hurt way too much to…"

She stopped herself. Because she couldn't think about the fact that everything between her and Teddy had now been turned on its head in more ways than one. And the fact that things could change and that they were changing was terrifying.

"Vic, when was it that Teddy stopped writing to you?" Alice asked.

"Beginning of November," she responded immediately. "Why?"

"And what else happened then? What did you tell him in your letter?"

Victoire furrowed her brow in thought for a moment. "Well, I told him I was dating Adam. But that-"

"Vic, come on," Alice said with a disbelieving laugh. "You tell Teddy you have a boyfriend and then he stops writing. You really think that's a coincidence? It's not! Because Teddy's in love with you too!"

Victoire had stared wide eyed and speechless at Alice for a solid minute. And then the rest of the conversation had consisted of Alice trying to convince Victoire that she was right, while Victoire came up with every reason in the book why Alice was wrong.

Her confusion about Teddy and her realization about Adam had led Victoire to end her relationship about a month after her conversation with Alice. He'd been reasonably upset, but more understanding than Victoire had expected. Until he'd asked is she'd known she had feelings for Teddy the whole time they'd been together. She hadn't even mentioned Teddy, and was unable to come up with any type of response. He wasn't even upset about it, but Victoire still felt bad.

Maybe this was part of the reason she never told Teddy they'd broken up. She was also terrified that Alice was wrong and that the knowledge that she no longer had a boyfriend wouldn't actually change anything. Not to mention the fact that if her dating someone was the reason he'd stopped writing, she didn't feel like talking to him at all.

Didn't their friendship mean more to him than that? Wasn't their friendship important enough that he could get over any hurt he might have felt at her potentially having feelings for someone else? Couldn't he continue to be her friend without the promise or guarantee of something more? She wouldn't have responded that way if he'd started seeing someone. In fact, she hadn't! Teddy had had a girlfriend for a few months in his sixth year, and Victoire had stuck by his side. Sure, she hadn't liked the girl and had been relieved when they broke up, but she hadn't stopped talking to him. Of course, she hadn't been in love with him then. Not that Teddy was in love with her now.

I mean, he could be. She'd never know unless she actually talked to him. Which wouldn't be a problem if he hadn't stopped talking to her in the first place.

She finished her sixth year and came home for the summer, but nothing got any better. Nothing changed. Teddy had made friends as an Auror trainee, and he spent a lot of his time with them. She saw him at family functions, but he'd made no real attempt to reach out, so she hadn't either. The amount it hurt that he appeared to want nothing to do with her was unbearable.

And now, as she put off finishing up the rest of her packing, the fact that she could no longer deny how she felt about her best friend weighing heavily on her mind, her emotions were tangled. A large part of her didn't want to see him before she left the next morning for school. Didn't want him to write to her after she left. Didn't want to want those things.

But she couldn't deny the equally as large part of her that felt real pain at the thought of losing Teddy Lupin. At the thought of creating what would most likely be a permanent divide between them.

But it was also equally as painful to think about having him in her life, but not in the way she wanted.

No matter what, she'd have to make a choice that would break her heart.

Because she could choose to walk away and let him walk away as well, or she could choose to keep Teddy Lupin in her life no matter what that might look like. Even if it meant she didn't get to love him the way she longed to.

* * *

"I think they've finally calmed down," Harry said with a sigh as he entered the kitchen, his words immediately contradicted by the loud thump and ensuing giggles from the floor above.

"I've got it," Ginny said with a roll of her eyes and an amused smile. "And if you finish up with the dishes," she continued as she moved away from the sink and towards her husband, "I can go to bed and leave you boys to your whiskey."

Harry gave her a grateful smile and a peck on the lips as she stopped beside him. A moment later, she was hollering a warning and moving past him and out of the kitchen.

"Still strange that you're not going back to school," said Ron with a nod at Teddy. Hermione had left with Rose and Hugo a few minutes ago, Hugo already passed out in his mother's arms and Rose almost asleep on her feet. A stark contrast to the Potter children, who still sounded like they were having trouble calming down. Ron had stayed behind for a night cap, almost at Hermione's insistence. She'd whispered a few words to her husband, who'd given her a conspiratorial smirk and a quick kiss goodnight. A knowing grin was on Hermione's face as she waved farewell to Teddy a moment later. It gave him the feeling that she knew a bit more about his personal life than he was comfortable with. But he wasn't sure how that was possible.

"I still picture you as an eleven-year-old little twerp who we couldn't get to bed. Just like Al," Ron continued as he opened the bottle of firewhiskey that was sitting on the island. Teddy gave an amused snort as Ron topped off his glass.

"That was nine years ago."

"You'll always be a kid to us," said Harry, a smirk on his face as he leaned on the island across from Teddy and Ron.

"Aren't you supposed to be washing dishes?" Teddy asked with a roll of his eyes.

"Oi! Watch the sass, _kid_," Harry said with a chuckle, but made his way over to the sink behind Ron anyway. "Do you miss it, though? It's strange, the way we left school, I never exactly got to miss it in a normal way."

Teddy paused a moment before responding. "Not always. But, yeah. There are times when I actually miss it a lot."

Ron gave a nod of agreement as he took a sip of his drink. "Yeah. I didn't think it was easy at the time, but the lighter workload was something I missed too once I started training."

"Also the food," Harry threw in, causing Ron to give a longing moan.

"Merlin, how could I forget about the food? Never eaten so well in my life."

Teddy chuckled. "Don't let Hermione hear you say that."

"I'd be more worried about his mum hearing," said Harry. "Hermione will be the first to admit that she's no artist in the kitchen."

Teddy smiled as he took another sip of his firewhiskey. It wasn't often that he got to just hang around with his godfather and his honorary uncle. He saw Harry plenty at the Ministry, and there were more than enough family events to ensure he saw all the Weasleys on a regular basis. But moments like these were rare, especially when all the kids were home for the summer. He was actually looking forward to so many of them going back to Hogwarts tomorrow.

Well, except one of them. He wasn't looking forward to _her _leaving again.

"That's not what I miss."

The words came out as a mumble as he raised his glass to his lips, but Ron's arched eyebrow showed that he'd been heard.

"Yeah?" asked Ron as he leaned forward and rested his forearms on the counter, his gaze fixed on Teddy's profile. "Don't tell me it's the ghosts."

Teddy shot an annoyed look at Ron's teasing grin. "No. You know they always gave me the creeps."

Ron continued to grin as Harry chuckled from behind them. "Imagine him at a deathday party."

Ron let out a burst of laughter that he quickly stifled when Teddy and Harry shushed him, both all too familiar with how light of a sleeper Lily was. She was known to look for any opportunity to get out of bed.

"So, if it's not the food or the easier schedule," said Harry after a few moments of silence, moving back around to stand in front of Ron and Teddy once again now that the dishes were done, "I'm guessing it's your friends? Then again, you still get to see most of them on a regular basis, right?"

Teddy gave a noncommittal shrug and nod, his eyes trained on the half drunk glass of whiskey in front of him. Ron and Harry remained silent, and when Teddy finally looked up, it was just in time to see the two best friends glancing away from each other and back to him, obviously having had a silent conversation with each other.

"Everything all right, Ted?" asked Harry, the familiar furrow of concern on his brow as he watched his godson with bright green eyes that were hidden behind a pair of familiar glasses.

"'M fine," said Teddy with that halfhearted shrug once again.

"Sure," Ron said with a snort. "Cause the way you've been brooding for, what, six months now means you're fine?"

"I haven't been _brooding,_" said Teddy, knowing he sounded a bit too defensive.

"You're like fifth year Harry," Ron insisted, which only caused Teddy to look at him in confusion before turning to Harry.

"It was a rough year," Harry said with a roll of his eyes and a pointed look at Ron. "Point is, as much as I know you love training and enjoy time with your friends, you haven't exactly been yourself lately either."

"How so?"

"Well, for one thing, you barely talk to anyone when all the family's around," said Ron. "Whenever the kids ask you to participate in whatever ridiculous thing they're doing, you've been saying no when you're normally willing to do just about anything they want."

"And you didn't even touch the treacle tart tonight," said Harry. "Even though I know you love it just as much as I do."

"There's also the brown hair."

"Exactly," Harry said with a nod. "So, what's up?"

"Nothing!"

Neither of them looked even remotely convinced. He hated it when they teamed up on him. They were way too good at getting what they were after.

"Maybe I'm just growing up," Teddy said defensively. "I'm not a kid anymore, despite what you two might think. I don't have to play with the kids, I don't have to eat sweets, and I'm allowed to have time on my own. _And_ change my hair color," he added, his hand running through it self consciously.

"That's fair," Harry said with a nod. "But are you sure nothing's bothering you?"

_That_ was a question Teddy had been running from since November. Since Victoire had told him she had a boyfriend.

There had been a few times over the years that he'd let himself wonder if there was more between himself and Victoire than friendship, but letting himself dwell on it had never seemed like an option. Not until he'd received a letter from her that had opened his eyes and broken his heart at the same time. By then, it didn't matter whether dwelling on it was an option or not. There was no point trying to stop thinking about it. It was the only thing that occupied his mind.

She sounded so happy and excited in her letter, and he wanted those things for her, but it had killed him to know that she'd found all that with someone other than him. And he hadn't even known for sure that he wanted to give her those things. Not until it was too late.

Victoire was everything he wanted, he knew that now. She was his best friend and his sunshine and his warmth and his home. Nothing felt more right than when he was with Victoire, and as much as it had nearly killed him to distance himself from her, he hadn't seen any other choice. Because he wanted her completely. Every single part of her. Even the freckles on her shoulders that she complained about and the long toes that she hated and always kept covered with socks or buried in the grass and sand. To him, she was perfect, and the thought of only having parts of her seemed worse than none of her.

But he'd been wrong. This - the distance he'd created between them that he had no clue how to get out of - was immeasurably worse.

"This about the fact that you and Vic aren't talking?"

Teddy nearly jumped in shock, his eyes wide and snapping to Ron, who was looking at him in mild concern.

"What?" he spluttered out. "Who said anything about me and Vic not talking? We're fine!"

Ron gave a snort of disbelief. "Not according to her."

Teddy couldn't help it. His eyes opened wider and his heart sped up a few notches. "What? What did she say?"

"Hang on," Harry cut in, a look of confusion on his face, "since when are you on the outs with your best friend? I feel like I would've picked up on that."

"You did realize that the whole him not talking to anyone at family gatherings included Victoire, right?" asked Ron, his tone a bit condescending. Harry narrowed his eyes at him.

"Are you telling me that you actually picked up on all of this yourself?" Harry challenged. Ron lost some of his puffed up attitude.

"I did, sort of," said Ron, "but I might have had a bit of help."

Harry smirked.

"Victoire said something to you, didn't she?" asked Teddy, attempting an air of indifference, even though he knew he was failing miserably.

"Not exactly," Ron admitted, "but she's been over at ours quite a bit the past couple weeks, and I might have heard a thing or two."

He went back to sipping his whiskey, a smirk adorning his freckled face as he waited for Teddy to cave. But he wouldn't. He refused to do so.

"It would appear that my wife and my niece have something in common when it comes to the men they fall for," Ron finally elaborated after finishing off his drink. This, however, was no help to Teddy at all. But it only took a few moments and a suggestive look from Ron for Harry to catch on.

"Interesting," said Harry, drawing out the word as a mischievous smile appeared on his face.

"What's interesting?" Teddy demanded, growing more frustrated with their elusiveness and teasing.

"You know," said Harry thoughtfully, "he sort of reminds me of sixth year me a bit too."

Teddy glared at his godfather, his annoyance and frustration obvious as Harry watched him with a calculating stare.

"Which part?" asked Ron, his voice lighthearted as he played along with wherever Harry was going with this. Teddy cast him a suspicious glance, taking a sip of his firewhiskey as he did so.

"The part where I was pining after Ginny."

Teddy started coughing as he choked on the alcohol. "What?!" he finally managed to choke out. "I'm not _pining _after Victoire!"

"Please," said Harry, who rolled his eyes and shook his head as Ron chuckled and wandered into the pantry. "Not only have Ron and I both done it ourselves, but we're also highly trained and very experienced Aurors. Takes a lot to fool us."

With an annoyed and resigned groan, Teddy rested his elbows on the wooden countertop and buried his head in his hands. "What do I have to do for you two to leave me alone about this?"

Harry chuckled. "We really can leave it be, if you want," he allowed, "but if you need to just get it off your chest and tell us what's going on, you can. We're also good at keeping secrets."

Teddy grunted in acknowledgement.

"Here," said Ron, having returned from the pantry and dropping a tin of ginger biscuits on the island next to the firewhiskey. "Biscuits make everyone feel better."

Teddy merely grumbled in response, but still propped his chin in his hand and grabbed a biscuit. "There's no point in talking about it," he insisted as he chewed. "Nothing can happen. We want different things."

"Like...career-wise?" Ron asked uncertainly.

"No," said Teddy with a roll of his eyes. He pushed himself up so he was holding his weight up by his hands, his head bowed as his palms pressed into the counter. "Like...I'm bloody mad about her but she went and got herself a boyfriend so she obviously doesn't feel the same...wise."

An uncomfortable silence filled the room at Teddy's confession, and he grabbed another biscuit while avoiding looking at either Ron or Harry. The loud crunch of the biscuit was the only noise that filled the room until Harry let out a sigh.

"Here," said Harry, grabbing the half filled bottle and pouring more into Teddy's empty glass. "This usually helps."

"Cheers," Teddy mumbled, finally glancing up at Harry as he lifted the glass to his lips.

"But she ditched her boyfriend."

Teddy nearly choked on his firewhiskey once again as he and Harry snapped their attention to Ron, who looked thrilled to be able to provide such crucial information.

"What?" Teddy asked, the shock evident in his voice. "Since when?"

"Ages ago, I think?" said Ron with a dismissive wave. "Anyway, she's been bloody miserable about the whole thing."

Teddy slumped against the counter, a despondent sigh falling from his lips. "Right, yeah. Of course she is. Probably heartbroken over him."

"What? No!" said Ron, looking at Teddy as if he'd gone mad. "She's miserable because of _you_. Because you've apparently barely even looked at her let alone talked to her for months! "

That couldn't be right. Sure, she'd written to him after Christmas to say that she missed him, but of course she did. They'd been best friends for years. But miserable? More so over him than over her ex-boyfriend? Did that mean…? No. It couldn't. He was reading into things.

"Ted," said Ron with a long suffering sigh, "Vic's been spending so much time with Hermione, because my wife actually understands what Vic is going through. Because she fell for her prat of a best friend too."

Teddy's heart raced, dropped to his stomach, and stopped all at once. "But… _I'm_ her best…"

He glanced wide eyed between Ron and Harry, who were both grinning unashamedly at him.

"No," said Teddy, his voice full of disbelief as he continued to look between Harry and Ron. "That can't be true, can it?"

"Well, seeing as you just said you have feelings for her too," said Harry, "I would think you'd _want _it to be true."

"I...yeah, of course!" Teddy stammered. "I just… really?"

Harry chuckled. "I mean, I wouldn't be surprised. She was downright depressed when you weren't there at New Year's. What's with this cold shoulder stuff anyway? Why aren't you two talking?"

Teddy let out a sigh and buried his face in his hands again. "It was just too bloody hard. After she told me she was dating Ramirez. I figured it would be easier to have nothing rather than only part of something when it came to having her in my life, and you don't have to tell me that was the wrong call. It only made things worse."

"Obviously," said Ron with a scoff. "She's been eating all my ice cream."

Harry chuckled and Teddy grimaced apologetically and rubbed his face. "Sorry. Merlin, what a fucking mess."

He finished off the rest of his firewhiskey, thoughts churning through his brain almost faster than he could interpret them. Of what all this could mean - him realizing his feelings for Victoire and her ditching her boyfriend and being miserable over the fact that he wasn't talking to her anymore. Because she'd fallen for her best friend. Him.

And then it hit Teddy. Not only was he almost definitely in love with Victoire Weasley, but it seemed like there was more than a slim chance that she felt the same way about him. And that meant everything that he wanted was not only possible, but entirely plausible, and maybe even extremely likely. If only she could forgive him for behaving like an idiotic prat.

"Mate, you look like you've been confunded," Ron said with a chuckle, and Teddy looked between both him and Harry with wide eyes.

"She doesn't hate me, does she?" Teddy asked, unable to completely squash his doubts. "With all the ignoring her and everything? I still… I have a chance to make this right. Right?"

Harry shrugged, a smirk on his face as he popped a biscuit into his mouth. "Only one way to find out."

* * *

The owls screeching. The carts rolling. The mothers fussing. The steam billowing. It was all too much.

It was a reminder of her reality.

Victoire Weasley was leaving for her final year at Hogwarts. And she was leaving her best friend behind once again. And this time, it was possible it would be for good.

As she tried and failed to get a solid night's sleep and went through the motions of getting out the door with her family that morning, Victoire had been able to snap herself out of her pessimistic thoughts. For short periods of time, at least. All wasn't completely lost. Teddy was still part of her family, so it wasn't like she would never see him again. But the likelihood of them ever getting back the type of friendship they'd had their entire lives seemed slim. Close to impossible.

"Vic?"

And even if he had distanced himself because she'd started seeing someone else, she still didn't understand it. She couldn't comprehend how he could just walk away. Not after everything-

"Victoire!"

The sound of her father's voice snapped Victoire out of her Teddy Lupin induced haze. She attempted to smile at him as he gave her a look of concern.

"I asked if you wanted help with your trunk," he said. Victoire nodded, thanking her dad as he levitated her trunk and began moving it towards the train along with her younger sister's. She smiled as she watched Dominique race ahead of their dad, hollering directions at him to make sure he put them in the right compartments. Victoire's attention was pulled away by a tug on her arm, and she smiled warmly down at her little brother.

"Where's Teddy?" he asked innocently, his blue eyes scanning the crowded platform. "He _always _comes."

Victoire's heart sank. "I don't know, Lou," she said, unable to keep from searching the crowds of people herself. Normally, she'd look for a shock of turquoise hair, but he'd been wearing his natural shade recently. It had thrown her the first time she'd seen it at Christmas, and when she'd actually had the chance to comment on it during the one brief conversation they'd had, he'd merely shrugged and said he was "trying something different," whatever that meant.

With a sigh, she held her brother's hand and squeezed it. "Teddy might not be coming this time."

Louis turned and looked up at his older sister, complete confusion on his face. "Why? You're his best friend, right? That's what he _always _says."

Victoire could do nothing but close her eyes and take a deep breath. "Maybe."

She looked back down at her brother as he tugged on her hand. "Of course he is," Louis insisted. "Best friends are _always _best friends. That's what it means."

Victoire smiled down at her little brother. "It's a bit more complicated than that."

"Oh," he said, seeming a bit disappointed by this knowledge. "Complicated how?"

With a sigh, Victoire squatted down in front of her brother so she was now looking slightly up and into his concerned eyes. "Things just change when you get older. It's hard to explain."

Louis crosses his arms and gave his sister a challenging stare. "Try."

"It's not that easy, Lou," she said with a sigh. "Things are simple when you're a kid, but they don't stay that way. You'll learn that eventually."

"Like when I'm eleven?" he asked, sounding both excited and nervous at the prospect. Victoire couldn't help but smile at her ten-year-old brother.

"Yeah," she said. "Maybe then."

"Louis!" her mother's voice sounded through the crowd. "Come say goodbye to Dominique!"

Louis sighed and rolled his eyes, but hurried off towards the train and their mother anyway. Victoire stood and turned to see that Dom was already on the train, her head sticking out the window as she argued with their mother, who seemed to be trying to get her to come off the train so they could say goodbye properly.

Victoire missed being that young, when things were simple. When it was as easy as Teddy being her best friend and him being hers. But things changed, whether you wanted them to or not. And she would do her best to live with those changes and even become better because of them. Eventually.

As she caught sight of Ethan's head popping up next to her sister's, Victoire's eyes scanned the platform until they landed on the Longbottom family a few cars down. They'd all be going to Hogwarts this year, and she could practically feel the excitement pouring off of Erin as her mother appeared to be attempting to give her last minute instructions or bits of wisdom. And standing just behind them was Alice, who didn't look to be doing much better than she had been when Liam had first broken up with her a few months ago.

That boy was lucky he wouldn't be returning to school that year. Victoire would have hexed him and then some the first moment she saw him in the corridors. She had half a mind to tell Teddy to be on the lookout for the slimy git that had just started Auror training, but that would require not only breaking her promise to Alice, who'd asked her to not say anything to anyone, but also meant she'd have to have a conversation with Teddy Lupin. Which she definitely didn't want to do.

A moment later, her brother was running back towards her, a bright smile on his face as he waved at someone behind her and hollered. "Hey, Ted!"

Victoire's stomach dropped as her brother hurried past her. She couldn't move. Couldn't turn around. Couldn't face him.

She heard him greeting her brother. Heard hand slapping that meant they were doing the handshake Teddy had taught Louis a few summers ago.

"See, Vic?" Louis called from behind her. "I _told _you he always comes."

Now she had to turn around. Had to face him and feel her heart break all over again.

His hands were shoved into the pockets of his jeans, the old Harpies hoodie that had once belonged to Harry lending him an air of such familiarity that she almost cried at the sight of him. He was watching her, his brown eyes searching her face and soaking her in. Like he'd been just as lost without her as she'd been without him.

And if Alice was right about why he'd stopped talking to her, he probably had been.

He looked exhausted but determined, if a bit nervous as he laid his hand on Louis' shoulder. "Hey, is it all right if I talk to your sister alone for a bit?" he asked softly. Louis nodded, hollering goodbye to Teddy as he ran off. Victoire didn't pay any attention to where he went. She couldn't pull her eyes away from the deep brown ones that were boring into hers.

"Can we talk?" he asked, taking a step closer to her. They were separated by a few feet, but it was closer than they had been for months. Victoire's anger and grief immediately rose up to challenge him.

"Why?" she asked, her voice harsh and her fists clenched at her sides. "Why now? When you've made it very clear that you don't want anything to do with me?"

"That's not true," he insisted, stepping closer once again and almost reaching for her, but his hands dropped to his sides a moment later. "Vic, I'm so sorry. I've been a horrible friend to you and an awful human being all around. Is there any way you could possibly forgive me?"

Tears had formed in Victoire's eyes, and she hastily wiped at them before they could fall as she stood firm, her arms crossing as she attempted to hold herself together.

"I don't know, Teddy," said Victoire. "I don't know if I even know you anymore."

"Don't say that. Of course you do."

"Do I? Because the Teddy _I_ know doesn't abandon his friends. The Teddy _I _know actually cares about me. That's not the Teddy I've seen the past sixth months."

She was now standing directly in front of him, her nostrils flaring with her rage as she stared up at him and poked him in the chest to emphasize her point.

"I know," said Teddy, his words honest and grieved. "And I'm truly sorry. I acted like a prat. A prideful and pathetic one. There's no excuse for that."

Victoire shook her head and took a step back, wiping another traitorous tear from her eyes. "Why, Teddy?" she asked, her voice shaky with her effort to hold back her tears. "Why don't you care anymore?"

"I do!" he nearly yelled, closing the distance between them once again and reaching out to grip her arm. His eyes pleaded with her to understand. "I _do_ care, Vic. I care so bloody much it hurts! And it hurt so fucking much to know that I couldn't care for you the way I wanted to. And I know I handled it poorly, but I had no bloody clue what to do! I was scared and I was heartbroken and I missed my best friend. I said there's no excuse and I meant that, but I didn't feel like I had another option."

"You could have told me the truth," she argued as her frustrations grew once again, "whatever the hell that is. Because I still don't understand why, Teddy."

"It was just too damn hard, Vic," he admitted, his voice cracking with the strain of his emotions. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment as he gripped both of her arms, his touch gentle but firm.

"Knowing how… knowing how deeply I care for you," he continued, "and knowing you didn't feel the same. I couldn't bring myself to congratulate you, but you sounded so happy, so I couldn't ruin that either. And it would have ruined everything for you if I'd told you how I really felt. How I _still_ feel."

Outside of a straight up confession, that was about as close to proof as she was going to get. Victoire's heart sped up at the realization of just how important this moment was, because she was almost certain that he loved her now. But after all the silence, all the uncertainty, and all the hurt, she needed to hear him say it.

"Teddy… Teddy, _please,"_ she begged, closing whatever distance remained between them and cupping his cheeks in her hands. His eyes closed, though not before she saw the obvious affection he held for her in them. Teddy had looked at her like that before, but she'd never known exactly what it meant until now. He was breathing deeply, his hands trembling as they fell from her arms and landed on her waist.

"Just… just tell me," Victoire pleaded, her whole body alight with awareness at being so close to him. So close to what they both wanted. "There's nothing for you to ruin now. Everything is in shambles already, and I want...I _need _to know how you feel."

He took a deep breath, his hands flexing against her sides before holding her more firmly as he kept his eyes closed. "Vic… Victoire, I…"

"Teddy," she nearly barked at him, the word so forceful that his eyes snapped open and met hers. She smiled at him, her thumb brushing against his cheek. "Just, please hurry up and say it. So I can say it back."

The enormous grin that erupted on his face just about made all the heartache worth it. "I love you. I'm so in love with you."

She was already wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling herself closer as she breathlessly said it back. "I'm so in love with you too."

And it turned out that all those stories she'd never put stock in _did_ have some truth to them after all. Because the moment her lips touched his, Victoire realized that the only way to describe kissing Teddy Lupin was butterflies in her stomach and fireworks in her heart.

Nothing had ever felt like it. And nothing else ever would.

But she only had a few fleeting seconds to enjoy it before the obnoxious voice of a thirteen-year-old boy invaded their euphoria.

"Oi! What're you two doing?"

Teddy groaned in disappointment against her lips, pulling away slightly so he could look over her shoulder at her nosy cousin.

"What does it look like we're doing?" Teddy deadpanned, his displeasure obvious. Victoire bit her lip to keep from laughing and rested her forehead against his chest.

"You're not snogging, are you?" asked James, his tone a mixture of wonder and disgust.

"We are, actually," Teddy said very matter-of-factly. "Now go away."

Victoire wasn't sure whether James had left or not, but it didn't appear to matter to Teddy. He held her head in his hands and tipped her face up towards his, barely giving her time to blink before he was kissing her again - deep and firm and desperate.

And then she realized that this was goodbye.

A sob threatened to escape Victoire, but she fought it off, choosing instead to wind her hands into Teddy's brown hair and pull herself closer. She put what little experience she had with kissing to good use and parted her lips, inviting him to do the same. He responded eagerly, and Victoire lost all feeling in her legs, every part of her focused on the way his lips were expertly caressing hers. This would never grow old. She never wanted to stop.

But she had to.

This time, she couldn't stop it, and a sob escaped without her consent. And Teddy pulled back to look at her in question, which quickly turned to concern.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked, his voice and his touch tender as he wiped at the tears Victoire hadn't realized were on her cheeks.

"Sorry," she said shakily, now fully crying as she lowered her hands to his chest and he continued to stroke her face and her hair. "I'm just realizing we have to say goodbye now."

Teddy's face echoed her pain before he dropped one more kiss on her lips, which was quickly followed by one to the top of her head as he pulled her close and held her tight. She'd always loved how well she fit in his embrace, his chin propped on her head as she rested it just below his shoulder. His arms wrapped around her shoulders as hers wound around his slim waist, which she noted had grown more muscular since he'd become an Auror trainee.

She breathed him in, his scent familiar and soothing as he stroked her long blonde hair. The train whistle sounded, warning them she had five minutes to board.

"Why didn't you tell me you'd ended things with Ramirez?"

Teddy's question - which had been delivered in a quiet and rushed voice - made Victoire stiffen in his arms, guilt filling her at the realization that she'd withheld truth from him just as he had from her.

"I'm sorry," she said, pulling back a bit so she could meet his eyes, "but you weren't talking to me, and I was angry. Alice said you were upset about me seeing Adam because you had feelings for me, which was when I realized I felt the same. But I was hurt that you'd let something like the possibility of me not loving you the way you loved me destroy our friendship. I thought I meant more to you than that."

"You do," he insisted, his hands gently cupping her face as he rested his forehead against hers. "I was an immature idiot about the whole thing and honestly didn't deserve for you to tell me."

"That's what I thought too," said Victoire, and he smiled when she smirked at him.

"There's probably quite a bit we need to talk about," he pointed out.

Victoire let out a light chuckle. "Probably. I don't think we have nearly enough time for all of it right now."

"I promise to write you every week this year," said Teddy, his words nothing but sincere. "Every day, even, if you'd like. We can start there."

Victoire smiled and wound her fingers around his wrists, his hands still gently cupping her face. "And can you try to come to Hogsmeade on your free weekends?"

"Absolutely," he assured her. "And I want to spend Christmas morning with you, not just see you at the Burrow that evening. We have a lot to make up for and a lot of traditions that I'd like to start right away."

Victoire giggled, her arms going to wind around his neck once again. "I'll come back with you to your gran's on Christmas Eve. Dad won't be happy, but I really don't care right now."

Teddy's eyes widened as his hands fell from her face to her sides. "Shit, your dad."

Victoire couldn't help laughing as she pulled him close, her cheek resting against his as she hugged him tightly. "Don't worry about him, he's harmless."

"Easy for you to say," he grumbled in her ear, but his arms tightened around her anyway.

They were able to stay that way for a solid minute, and then the whistle sounded once again, letting her know she only had a minute left to board the train.

"You should go," said Teddy, pulling away and taking both her hands in his. "You're Head Girl, after all. Need to set a good example."

"Right," said Victoire, attempting to find her barings again. "Right, Dad already took my trunk, so it's just me, then."

Her blue eyes met his brown ones, the warmth of his gaze so familiar and so missed for months nearly causing her to melt into a puddle of a million emotions. And then he was pulling her close once again, his hug now slightly different than it had been throughout their friendship as he held her as close as he possibly could and his hands caressed her tenderly.

"I'll see you in a few weeks?" she asked in a shaky voice.

"I'll write as soon as I get home and let you know when I have my next free Saturday," he answered straight away. Victoire smiled as a tear escaped her, though the moment was far more sweet than bitter. And she realized she wasn't crying out of grief or sadness. She was crying out of the overwhelming amount of joy she felt to be held by the man she loved while knowing he loved her too.

The train let off a big puff of steam and they pulled away from each other. Teddy continued to hold Victoire's hand as she made her way towards it, waving as she walked past her stunned parents - who'd most likely seen what had just happened - and only stopping to turn and face Teddy once she'd stepped onto the train. She wasn't sure she would have been able to actually do it if she'd turned around sooner.

"I love you," he told her, still holding her hand as the train made its initial small lurch forward. And Victoire beamed at him, leaning down as he took a few steps to follow after her and leave one last searing kiss on her lips.

And then the train was picking up speed as her fingers slipped from his, her eyes filling with tears as he raised his hand in farewell.

And when she blew him a final kiss in farewell, a boyish and familiar grin appeared on Teddy Lupin's face. A look that reminded Victoire so much of the boy she'd known and loved her whole life. A boy who was now a man.

A man who loved her too.

* * *

**A/N: I've always been torn about the idea of the kiss on the platform between Teddy and Victoire being their first or not. I decided to go with it as their first for this story, which actually ties in with my Show a Little Faith world. I didn't include it with the snapshots because it felt like its own thing. I even almost split it into three chapters but changed my mind. You don't need to read the other SALF stories to understand this, but you'd understand the Alice stuff if you do! I've put a lot into this world I've created within the world of Harry Potter and it's crazy how much more I want to do. Hope you enjoyed! Make sure to leave a review! I always love to hear what you think.**


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